Silver Order
by greatduwangs
Summary: The Dark Lord has returned, and Harry Potter needs a guardian. Four, to be exact. To prevent an alliance between Lord and Queen, Ozpin extends his services to Professor Dumbledore - and so the reign of Summer Rose, Taiyang Xiao Long, Raven and Qrow Branwen began. Team STRQ, Order and Golden Trio centric. OOTP.
1. Chapter 1

Nothing.

Albus Dumbledore sat at his desk, his usually twinkling blue eyes now dull as he gazed upon the owl that had delivered Defence Against the Dark Arts applications to his tower. The barn owl twisted its head curiously and pecked at the wood. With a sigh and a wave of his wand, Albus summoned a handful of sweets from a nearby drawer. He held a hand out, dropping the seeds on it and allowing the owl to regain its energy after a long flight. Fawkes followed suit, flying from his perch. He was nearing the end of his cycle. A fond smile reached Dumbledore's lips that didn't quite reach his eyes.

His days were stressful. With the return of Voldemort and recent rumours provided by the _Daily Prophet_ concerning himself and Harry Potter, the applications for the 'cursed' position were even fewer than usual. He had a responsibility to Hogwarts to hire new staff, and yet it seemed as if the whole of Britain was working against him. Even the thought of the Order meetings couldn't cheer his mood.

Fawkes gave a sudden squawk, flying to land back at his perch. The barn owl flapped its wings in shock. Dumbledore peered at the fireplace calmly. An instant later, the flames that were once a bright orange turned emerald green, and a figure stepped out from underneath the mantelpiece. The startled owl flew out the window in a rush. The figure walked towards Dumbledore, limping slightly on his cane. The newcomer's body was completely covered in soot. Several of the snoozing portraits of previous headmasters woke up, gazing upon the new arrival with curiosity.

"Albus," he greeted, sitting himself down on the chair opposite Dumbledore. He placed his cane on the desk before crossing one leg over the other.

The old wizard chuckled lightly, and with a flick of his wand the soot was gone from the other's body, revealing a young grey-haired man, sporting shaded spectacles and dark green attire. Dumbledore scanned him. "I see you still dislike Floo powder, Professor Ozpin," he commented, amusement dancing in his eyes.

Ozpin smiled back at Dumbledore. "Please, just Ozpin," he replied. "I've never been too fond of that method of travel. Not safe enough for my line of work."

"Indeed," Dumbledore agreed. In all the years he had known Ozpin, the man had been overly cautious of what he would use to communicate. He had never sent an owl in his life. Usually, if he wanted to pass on a message, he would apparate himself to the receiver, or, in the case with Hogwarts in particular, use the Floo network. Dumbledore was admittedly surprise to see his old friend. The last time they had spoken face to face was when the Chamber of Secrets was open once again and Dumbledore was forced to leave his school. "And what brings you here?" he asked, although he had a good guess as to what his answer would be.

The smile was wiped from Ozpin's lips. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk and his chin on his hands, and frowned at Dumbledore. "I felt a shiver down my spine while in search for the Queen in the rainforests of Burma, and when I came back to Britain I heard that Tom Riddle had return," he answered, eyes darkening at the mention of the 'Queen'. "Am I correct in assuming you need my aid once more?"

"More than ever, my dear friend." Dumbledore stood up and walked towards the window, his back turned to Ozpin. "If you're not too busy, of course."

"Not at all," the silver-haired man replied. "My students will be more than willing to pick up where I left off."

"You have undeniable trust in your students. I admire you," Dumbledore remarked, observing the sky. Dark clouds loomed overhead the castle. "I have a personal favour to ask, Ozpin. Concerning Harry Potter."

He heard the sound of the chair being pulled back, and the soft clink of Ozpin's cane as he limped to join Dumbledore by the window. "And what is it that you want from me?" he asked, eyes locked outside. A few drops of rain hit the windowpane, before a downpour attacked the castle.

"Voldemort has returned, and Cornelius has gone out of his way to keep his position as minister." Dumbledore couldn't keep the disappointment out of his tone. "I fear for the boy and the school."

"Understandably so," Ozpin commented. "You seek a guardian for the boy, then?"

Closing his eyes and sighing, Dumbledore turned to his friend. He opened his brilliant blue eyes, peering at Ozpin from behind half-moon spectacles. "Yes."

"Will they be staying at Hogwarts?"

"Of course."

"Will they still be getting an education?"

"If you so wish."

"Will they be allowed their…" Ozpin paused. " _Tools_?"

"I see no harm in allowing that."

"Will they be allowed to attend Order meetings?"

"If you trust them," Dumbledore answered.

"Then yes," Ozpin smiled, holding out his hand. Dumbledore took it, and the two shook. The two wizards pulled their hands away and made their way back to the desk, Dumbledore sitting himself back down again while Ozpin remained standing. "And where is the Order now?"

"Number 12, Grimmauld Place."

Nodding, Ozpin backed towards the fireplace, grabbing a fistful of Floo powder. "I will have a team ready by noon tomorrow, waiting outside."

"Words alone cannot express my gratitude," Dumbledore thanked him.

"Please, don't mention it," Ozpin chuckled. He threw the powder onto the floor of the fireplace, barking, " _Signal Academy_!", and with a burst of green flames, disappeared. Much most of their conversations, Ozpin's meeting with Dumbledore was brief and unexpected.

Professor Ozpin was a strange man. He worked in complete secrecy, perhaps even more secrecy than Dumbledore himself. He had his own academy, built on an island isolated from the rest of the world. The academy – Beacon, was its name – was not created for educational purposes. Beacon Academy had one role to play in the world – to defend it, and uphold the peace. To do so, its students worked in the dark all over the world. Starting at the age of sixteen, the wizards and witches of the academy began attending, and very rarely did they ever leave. They were the silent guardians of the realm.

They were the perfect guardians for the boy who lived.

* * *

His fingers and toes were bleeding. He was struggling to breath at such a high altitude, and he didn't know if he could hold on for much longer. But he had to. Taiyang Xiao Long was never one to back down from a challenge, especially when there was a bet involved. No doubt Peter was far behind him at that point. He had overtaken the other boy a while ago, and all he could see was the top of the cliff-face.

With a few final pushes up, he reached over the edge of the cliff, dangling by his fingers. Grunting, he leapt up to the ground. He collapsed on the floor and dragged himself to look down, grinning smugly. The waves from the ocean below crashed against the rocks where he started from. To his dismay, Peter was nowhere to be seen. Swearing loudly, Taiyang pulled his wand from his jacket and tapped his hands and feet. " _Episkey_."

The cuts quickly disappeared, leaving his drying behind. Taiyang rolled over until he reached the soft grass. He slumped on the lawn, eagle-spread. The academy looked as majestic as ever, with its singular silver tower casting a shadow over him. A dense forest surrounded the school, with autumn red leaves all year round. In the centre of the island stood a monstrous volcano, forever boiling magma. It was a popular spot during the winter.

Taiyang's stomach gave a sudden growl. He groaned, resting a hand over his abdomen and using the other to reach for his wand again.

An granny smith apple landed by his side with a thud. Taiyang rolled over onto his stomach, picking up the fruit. He rested one elbow on the ground, leaning his head on it as he bit into the apple. Its contents were juicy and fresh – just the way he liked it. He peered up, smirking, and lifted his calves off the ground, bending them towards his rear. "'Sup, Oz?"

The headmaster of Beacon gazed down at him, clutching his cane. "Did you win?" he asked.

"The 'unk baile' o' me!" Taiyang whined through a full mouth. Noting Ozpin's unimpressed stare, he swallowed. "We were gonna race, and I said go, and when I got here a looked down and – nothing! Seriously!" He gestured wildly with his hand grasping the apple, as if to make a point.

"How unfortunate," Ozpin remarked. "I told Mr Port to do an errand for me while you were off climbing."

"Oz! I should've known it was your fault!" the blond exclaimed, chewing on another bite of the apple. "I always knew you would turn out to be a traitor." He grinned, waiting for the headmaster to do the same.

Ozpin stayed straight-faced. Taiyang inwardly swore.

"Mr Xiao Long, what do you know of the Boy Who Lived?"

* * *

The place stunk, that much Qrow knew. The smell of cigarettes and drunken old men filled his beak, as he scanned the bar, perched on a wooden lodge that kept the place up. With his keen eye, he saw everything that went on below. The cheaters, the con-artists, the bribery, the (his stomach still flipped at the sight) potential assaulters, none were kept secret from Qrow.

Any minute now, his target would walk right through the front door, sit down by the corner and order two bottles of fire-whiskey, one served with dragon's tongue. At least, that was what his sister told him. He had no idea what his target actually looked like, or if he was even human for that matter. Well, that mystery was part of his job.

Qrow scratched the wooden post with his talon, steadily growing impatient with each passing second. Tiny wood shavings fell down onto a man's head below. The bird ruffled his feathers.

The door creaked open, and Qrow's attention was immediately brought to it. A cloaked figure stepped through, face hidden by its hood. The bird watched with keen eyes as they took a seat by the corner.

 _Bingo_.

Qrow flew from one post to the other, sitting directly above his target. Sure enough, the newcomer ordered two bottles of fire-whiskey, one served with a dragon's tongue. The waitress had given them a strange look, but came back with the two drinks anyway – the tongue served on the side. Qrow didn't know if he wanted his mouth (or beak) to water or retch at the sight of the dragon's tongue. That was one of downsides of intelligence work – going for hours without food.

The figure downed their drinks in no time, and shoved the tongue into their cloak. Leaving a handful of sickles at the counter, they walked out the door as quickly as they came in. Qrow followed suit, eyes locked on his target. He was thankful for his avian eyesight as the figure headed through the thick forest, in the dark no less. The figure soon reached a campsite, where the embers of an earlier fire burned underneath a pile of wood and ash. The figure sat down on a sleeping bag. Qrow smirked, jumping down behind his target and changing to his human form.

"Evening, fella," he greeted. The figure jolted, falling on their back, before rolling over and frantically crawling to away from Qrow. Alas, their escape was in vain. In swift motion, Qrow pulled his wand from his sleeve and waved, muttering the spell underneath his breath. His target stopped in their tracks as thick vines arose from the ground and tied themselves around their ankles and wrists. Qrow pulled back their hood as they struggled against the bonds.

He had captured himself an impossibly pale young man, with glowing amber eyes and razor-sharp fangs snarling at Qrow. "Vampire, huh?" Qrow remarked, brows raised. He had only seen a handful of vampires in his lifetime – unlike werewolves, they weren't exactly inclined to joining forces with a dark wizard. Raven would appreciate his find. "So, blood-sucker," Qrow stepped down on the vampire's chest with his heel, "you got a name?"

The vampire spat on his shoe.

"Believe it or not, I have some left-over garlic bread in my pocket," the Branwen lied smugly. "So either you stop being feisty with me, or I shove it down your throat. Your choice." For added effect, he reached down to his pants pocket.

"Ernest!" the vampire cried out, eyeing Qrow's hand warily. "My name is Ernest Pickering!"

Qrow smiled. "See, blood-sucker? Was that so hard?" Ernest glared at his capturer. "Alright! That's my part of the job done!" He stepped away from Ernest, clapping his hands. The vines reacted instantly, retreating back beneath the ground. The vampire gaped at Qrow with wide eyes.

"Wha – that's all?"

"Yup!" Qrow grinned. " _I_ just needed your name."

Ernest paused for a moment before settling into a confident smirk. He lunged at Qrow with lightning-fast speeds, fangs aiming for the wizard's neck.

" _Crucio_."

It wasn't Qrow who cast the spell. The voice was feminine and cold. Ernest withered on the ground, screaming in pain. Qrow glanced up from the tortured vampire, eyes setting on the newcomer. Blood-red eyes, pitch-black hair, a pale complexion, tall, stunningly physically attractive just like himself. His sister had arrived.

"Raven," Qrow swallowed. Her eyes were locked on her victim, expression blank. A shudder ran up his spine. "Raven!" he shouted.

His sister jerked back her wand, peering up at Qrow while Ernest collapsed on the ground,, passed out. She flicked her wand back into her cloak. The moonlight shone on her features, her red eyes appearing to hunger. Her blank expression rested onto one of amusement. "Brother," she greeted.

"Sister," he replied, eyeing Ernest cautiously. "You didn't have to do that."

She huffed. "I save your life, and _this_ is the thanks I get?"

"You use an Unforgivable Curse and that's the thanks you're getting," Qrow retorted.

Raven sighed, kneeling down by the vampire and placing a hand over his forehead. "Still alive."

"Ignore him."

Qrow jumped again, yelling in shock. He glared behind him with fists clenched. "Ozpin!" he snapped, heart racing. Merlin, did everyone have to show up without warning?

The silver-haired man eyed him before turning to his sister, expression sour. "Ms Branwen, I did warn you about using unforgivable curses, did I not?"

Raven crossed her arms and huffed. She glared darkly at the headmaster, red eyes blazing.

"You two are dismissed from this mission," Ozpin continued, ignoring Raven. "I have a new one for you now. One of the most importance."

The twins glanced at each other, brow raised. Typically Qrow and Raven were expected to complete every mission given to them. The missions were rarely stopped.

"What's up, Oz?" Qrow asked.

Ozpin shook his head. "It's too dangerous here. We will return to Beacon and discuss more there." He glanced down at Ernest before turning. "Ms Branwen, please take care of our little friend. And for Merlin's sake, _don't use your wand_."

Qrow placed his hand on Ozpin's shoulder, trying his best to not look at his sister. He heard her rustle something from her cloak before a horrible squelching. Shuddering, he glanced at her when she returned to their side, blood splattered on her hands. She touched his shoulder, and in an instant the three were gone from the scene, the decapitated vampire behind them.

* * *

Summer fidgeted in her seat, eyes darting between the headmaster and her fellow students. Taiyang Xiao Long, the loud fiery blond. Qrow Branwen, the cocky and arrogant animagus. Raven Branwen, his stoic and mysterious animagus sister.

And then there was Summer, the shy, quiet, timid girl. What an interesting cast of characters Ozpin had summoned. She pulled her hood down, silver eyes resting on Ozpin. They were all waiting for him in silence.

"This mission has taken priority over the Queen for now," Ozpin began, resting his chin on his hands and elbow on his desk. "James has volunteered his services for now. We are to focus on Potter's safety above all else. Understood?"

"Do we really need to go to _Hogwarts_?" Qrow whined. "I heard they don't even condone duels in the corridors."

"Unfortunately, we will need adjust to their rules," the headmaster informed them. The students, including Summer, groaned. Other wizarding schools were not as relaxed with their safety as Beacon. Damn. Summer really liked random duels, they were good practice. "We will be staying with Harry Potter until Lord Voldemort has been properly dealt with. You must not reveal any information concerning yourselves, Beacon Academy, or the Queen. And," he turned to Raven, "they will not be as forgiving as I."

The black-haired girl rolled her eyes.

"Summer Rose, I entrust the role of leader to you," Ozpin declared. "Any questions?"

Summer raised her hand. Ozpin nodded for her to speak. "Sir, why halt the search for the Queen? Aren't we close?"

A long sigh. "In truth, we are far from such. If Lord Voldemort and the Queen were to begin an alliance… I fear the outcome."

Stopping the threat before it began? Typical Ozpin. Summer nodded in understanding.

"You are expected to be at Signal Shore by midnight tonight," Ozpin finished, dismissing the students. The other three left immediately in silence (although Summer heard Taiyang complaining once they were out the door) while Summer stayed behind. She stood up, staring down at her headmaster with bright silver eyes.

"Are you sure?"

The question blurted out of her mouth before she could even think about it. Was he sure about the mission? About leaving her as the leader? About Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic? Was he sure stepping away from the Queen was the right decision?

There was a pregnant pause before the quiet answer came. "That is up to you."

Summer mused on the thought. "…I'll have to wait and see then."

Pulling her hood up again, she exited Ozpin's office, not once glancing behind her. She had a total of five hours to pack.

Five hours until her next mission began.

* * *

 **Hello. Welcome to another crossover, this time featuring Team STRQ and Harry Potter! I did something a lil different from my other Harry Potter xovers, in that the characters from the other universe actually live in the Potterverse.**

 **I took a lot of inspiration for Beacon Academy from X-Men. I imagine Beacon to work behind the scenes in protecting the magic world. The Ministry is aware of its existence, but does to exert control over it like it does with Hogwarts in OOTP.**

 **If you liked what you've read or if you have any criticisms, let me know! And if you want to see more, I have about a million other STRQ related fics on my profile. Cheers, love ya.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Also known as: kinda filler but not really cause it shows the dynamics of Team STRQ also I was bored.**

* * *

"I hear they give detentions for breaking arms in Quidditch. _Detention_."

The scent of the sea was nauseating, to say the least. Salty waves crashes against the side of the ship and rocked the boat. Summer swallowed vomit that had risen in her throat, gripping onto the ropes that held up her hammock. The other three sat cross-legged on the planks. The twins seemed to share her sickness (albeit not to the same extent she was) while Taiyang appeared as chipper as ever. A single light hung above them, swaying in time with the boat. The four hammocks they were given below the deck were absolutely sickening – Summer had already rushed out twice to throw up over the side of the boat.

They had packed immediately after Ozpin had debriefed them on the mission. The idea to arrive on Britain's port by boat had been Professor Ironwood's idea – the Floo network was too dangerous, and the danger of being seen by Muggles scratched apparition off the list. So, instead, the four and Professor Ozpin took one of Beacon's ships from Signal Shore and headed out to sea. Summer wondered about the safety of the ship; why would being seen by Muggles be so dangerous while the concept of drowning at sea didn't seem to bother any of them?

She kept her mouth shut, though. She had learnt that it was better to do so.

The whole trip would take only ten hours, due to the stops Ozpin wanted to make along the way. He never told them why, he would simply just point his staff at the ocean and concentrate for a long while. The four students had went along with it after the second time, and had opted to sit down below deck and talk with each other. The topic of discussion had been Qrow Branwen's choice: complain.

Complain about Hogwarts, to be exact. Summer was familiar with the school. Earlier that year, she had kept up to date with the Triwizard Tournament. Even if the coverage of the event was absolute _garbage_ (funnily enough, apparently Rita Skeeter had gone missing earlier that year. No one at Beacon bothered to investigate), she loved seeing the photos of the contestants battling dragons and rescuing loved ones from the lake. Like any sensible witch, she had a crush on all the contestants. Diggory, Potter, Delacour, Krum.

Summer shook her head, trying not to think about trivial things like crushes and who she liked and famous wizards and witches – she was a leader now. She had no time to gush over their looks and what not.

"What, really?" Taiyang exclaimed, brows raised. "Then what do they do for fun?"

Summer peered down at the trio, waiting along with Taiyang for a response. The twins glanced at each other before both whispered darkly, "follow the rules."

The four shuddered. Quidditch at Beacon was a much more… violent sport than most other Wizarding schools. It was not uncommon for players to get broken arms and bloody noses. Professor Ozpin even encouraged it, as he was the one that introduced the new 'rule' that permitted wand use during matches by both players and the audience.

"That's just rubbish," Taiyang said, crossing his arms. "We're not going to deal with that this year, are we?"

Summer noticed the twins' shoulder rising then falling briefly. "I doubt we'll listen to them anyway," Raven pointed out, leaning back onto her palms and stretching her legs out.

Qrow imitated her actions. "I mean, what're they gonna do? Expel us?" he snorted at his own joke. "They'd be faced with the wrath of the Oz."

"Hiding behind the Headmaster, then? Nice work, Branwen," Taiyang joked.

The red-eyed boy shrugged, smirking. Summer watched his sister chuckle before her face fell serious. "How are we going to practise, then?" Raven wondered, folding her arms.

The four fell silent. Beacon Academy prides itself on the excellent status of its students. They upheld duelling with high respect. It was just one of many ways to sharpen one's skill.

"I'll organise something," Summer announced softly.

The trio looked up and stared at Summer. It was the first thing she had said since the conversation started. The redhead blushed under their piercing gazes. She coughed. "I'll talk to Headmaster at Hogwarts and see if I can organise something," she clarified. "Maybe we can work something out with the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor there."

There was a pregnant pause. Summer felt blood rush to her ears.

Suddenly, wide grins etched onto their faces. Taiyang held out his palm to Summer, which she hit lightly. "Thanks for that, Rose!" the blond said. "You're a real hero."

"T-thanks," she said, smiling. "I'll do what I can as the leader to help you."

"I hear that the Dark Arts position is cursed," Qrow gossiped. "There's a new one every year."

Summer and Taiyang's eyes widened with shock. " _Really_?"

"Yep," Qrow answered, popping the 'p'. "Apparently, a few years back…"

"...around the time we were in first year…" Raven continued.

"…This one bloke, Squirrel something like that…."

" _Quirtle_. Anyway, he was working for this Voldemort fellow…"

"…and long story short, he was killed in the school," the twins chorused.

Well. That was one of the creepiest things Summer had ever heard. The two seemed to know each other's thoughts, and somehow could bounce off of each other perfectly. Even their mannerisms were exactly the same. Twins were a strange phenomenon.

"… _Nice_." Taiyang grinned.

The four smashed against the wall.

Summer was the first to regain her balance, as the boat shifted upright once more. She held onto the frame of the door, gripping onto it as the others cried out in pain and confusion. There was a deafening roar from outside, and the boat tipped again. Summer dangled by her fingers, staring down at the trio. Raven and Qrow realised what was happening and transformed into their animagus forms, narrowly missing the other wall. Taiyang, on the other hand, was not so lucky.

The blond knocked his head against the planks, splintering the wood. He howled in pain, stumbling upwards awkwardly. One of the twins – Raven or Qrow, Summer couldn't tell – swoop down to him and clutched his collar by their talons. The pair rose to Summer. Taiyang held onto the other side of the door as the Branwen flew to its twin.

"What's going on?" Taiyang yelled over the roaring of the waves. Summer frantically climbed up the door. Her heart pounded against her ribcage as she leaned against the wall, squinting outside.

"I'm going out!" She glanced back at Taiyang. "Back me up!"

Without another word, she half-raced, half-climbed up the stairs and out to the open. The first thing she noticed was the icy cold air and a powerful spray of the sea against her cheek. Her eyes darted around the deck before settling on the stoic Ozpin, sipping his coffee by the railing of the ship. A thunderous storm raged outside, the powerful gale ripping in her ear.

"Professor!" she shouted, sliding to his side. Her hands gripped tightly onto the railing.

Ozpin took another sip of his coffee and smiled. "Something wrong?"

"What's happening?"

"The Taijitu caught up to us," he answered, as if they were talking about the weather.

Summer fell silent. The twins and Taiyang halted to a stop right behind them. Her jaw dropped.

" _What_."

"I was keeping it at bay for a while," the professor clarified, "but it came while I was making some more coffee, so I didn't bother this time." He raised his mug to his lips briefly before lowering it, furrowing his brows. "It's a tad salty."

Bewildered, Summer leaned over the side of the boat. She caught sight of a large black figure swimming underneath the hull of the ship. With wide eyes, she followed its trail until she reached the back of the ship. The creature encircled the entire boat, catching its prey in its predatory trap.

She looked back, horrified. "It's massive!" she screamed. "What do we do?"

"You're the leader," Ozpin said calmly. "Lead them."

Summer swallowed, eyes gazing over the other three. The blond and two birds stared at her warily, expecting orders from her. From her.

She shut her eyes, mind reeling. They were in a ship. They were surrounded by the ocean. If her estimate was right, their destination was only an hour away. That meant they couldn't risk showing off too much in case Muggles could see. A Taijitu was considered the most aggressive class of sea serpent, and like most of its species it hardly rose its head above water. So, they could be discreet about it. They would need an eye above to track its movements and give warnings to her and the others.

"Qrow! Raven!" she yelled. She prayed that the twins could hear he over the storm. Thankfully the two of them glanced her way. "Can you two understand each other when only one is a bird?" The twins nodded frantically. "One of you go high and tell us what it does from there!"

The pair glanced at each other for a split second, and in a flash Raven was gone from Summer's view. An instant later, a large black bird soared to the sky, circling the ship. Raven struggled against the wind, but seemed to fly fine nevertheless. At least, that was what Summer hoped. The bird cawed loudly. She looked to Qrow.

"She says she can see the head! It's at the front of the ship!"

Front. Okay. So the Taijitu must have circled around them and was planning to crush them. Drown them, if her assumption was correct. Their first priority was to get the ship out of the way. Summer glanced around the horizons, squinting at the distance. "Ask Raven if she sees any land!" she ordered, keeping a wary eye on the Taijitu.

"Got it!" Qrow lifted his hands to his mouth. "Oi, Raven!" The bird squawked back at him. "She says there's a port that way!"

Summer frowned, running over to the side that Qrow had turned to. Waves crashed against the ship, splashing the deck. She took out her wand from her back pocket, mind tinkering. Taiyang joined her an instant later.

"Tai," Summer turned to him, gripping onto the railing, "I need you to tell Professor Ozpin to levitate us out of the Taijitu's reach – but not too high. You're helping him." He gave her a playful salute, skidding on the deck before rushing off to join the headmaster. "Qrow, Raven." Qrow looked to her for orders, as Raven perched herself on the railing, her talons digging into the timber. "Bear with me on this. You're going to have to blind it while we move the ship. Can you do it?"

Qrow scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Can we do it, she says." He shifted into a crow, flapping his wings upwards. Raven squawked what Summer was positive was an insult before joining her brother. Summer waited until she was sure they were in range before glancing back at Taiyang and Ozpin, who were both pointing their wands at the ground. Taiyang was staring at her with worried eyes while Ozpin regarded her for a moment, his gaze lingering on hers, before staring back out to sea.

She took a breath in.

" _GO_!" she screamed. At once, Taiyang uttered the _Leviosa_ spell on the ship and Ozpin flicked his wand. Summer aimed her wand at the water between the ship and the port, murmuring a spell underneath her breath. A swell of larger waves erupted before her, hiding the ship from Muggle view. She protected the ship with another spell as the other two moved it to safety. Once the water had cleared, she spotted the twins dipping in and out of the water, circling around what she knew to be the Taijitu's head.

The Taijitu flashed out of the water, snapping its jaws at the pair of birds. Summer leaned over the railings, clenching her teeth in worry. Its fangs were narrowly missing the Branwens – even from the ship she could see the graze marks and the feathers blown away by the wind.

It happened in an instant. The Taijitu stretched out its mouth and lunged for both of the twins.

And won.

Summer cried out in horror, raising a hand to her ashen face. Taiyang quickly joined her, eyes widened. The storm cleared up. There was a dark silence between them, as the Taijitu seemed to savour its meal.

The blond began climbing over the railing, eyes dark. Summer gasped, gripping onto his jacket.

"Get off – get off!" he snapped. "We have to save them!"

"Don't!" Summer cried out. "We'll only get ourselves killed!"

"Well we have to do something!" He turned to Ozpin. "Oz! Do something!"

The headmaster eyed the beast for a split second, before shaking his head. "Please come down from the railing, Mr Xiao Long," he said. "It's over now."

"WHY YOU-"

An ear-splitting shriek cut Taiyang off. The Taijitu thrashed around in the waters, withering in pain and rolling its eyes in agony. The students watched with anxious eyes as it froze still before two large gashes suddenly appeared on its body. Two birds flew out a moment later, leaving the corpse of the magical creature behind them.

They transformed in mid-air and landed, synchronized. Taiyang and Summer watched with amazement as they wiped fresh blood from their clothes and –

"Wait," Taiyang started, pointing at what Summer had been gawking at, "are those… swords?"

Qrow smirked. "Good to know you're not blind, mate."

"Blimey," he whistled. "Where were you two carrying those things?"

"It's a secret," the twins echoed, sheathing their weapons. Raven crossed her arms, raising a brow. "What, you two don't have them?"

"Of course not!" Summer said, admiring Raven's long blade. "We haven't even _started_ getting our licence. We're supposed to get it at the end of our sixth year." She stepped to the side, peeking another glance at their weapons. "They're beautiful."

There was a long silence, as Summer drooled over the weapons and the others stared at either her or the corpse of the Taijitu. She felt another presence soon join them, and she looked up to see Ozpin gazing at the four of them approvingly.

"Well done," he said. "That was an excellent impromptu mission. Ms Rose, congratulations on your strategy." Summer blushed. "Mr Xiao Long, impressive work on the levitation spell." Taiyang grinned proudly. "Mr and Ms Branwen, we need to have a word in private."

The twins glanced at each other and shrugged, joining the headmaster at the bow of the ship. Taiyang and Summer leaned on the railing, watching the trio walk away from them.

"Well, that was a thing," Taiyang commented, crossing one leg over the other. "Great job, boss."

Summer laughed. "Thanks. You weren't too bad yourself."

"Let's see if this Dark Lord can handle _us_ now." He flexed his muscles. "Dark wizards have got nothing on these."

She rolled her eyes and slapped his bicep playfully. "Don't ruin the moment, Tai."

The pair stayed by the railing, bonding, as the ship continued for Britain.


End file.
